1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system which includes a management apparatus and devices managed by the management apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many information devices are designed to be connected to networks and used for various applications. Among other things, the WWW (World Wide Web: also referred to simply as the Web) has spread remarkably. Various image processing devices and management apparatuses which manage them are equipped with Web server functions and have come to be equipped with Web application functions which allow users to view various information and make settings using a Web browser. Some of the apparatuses equipped with such Web applications have enhanced convenience by establishing links from a Web page of a management apparatus to Web pages of apparatuses under management and vice versa.
When such an apparatus detects that a device has been connected to a network, it determines whether the detected device can generate links. A management apparatus has been proposed which transmits, to a device, link information for use to link to the management apparatus when it is found that the device can generate links (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-288056). Also, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-288056 proposes an apparatus under management which generates a link to the management apparatus upon receiving link information.
In this way, by establishing links mutually between Web applications of a management apparatus and an apparatus under its management, it is possible to provide a highly convenient system to the user.
However, only a link to a particular page (top page of the Web application of the remote party) is provided to each party, and it is not possible to generate a link dynamically to any page. Thus, even if the link is traced from a Web page of an apparatus under management to the Web page of the management apparatus, it is necessary to search for a desired page.